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KOAM Weather Center
The Kindofameme Weather Center, or more commonly the KOAM Weather Center (pronounced Koh-Am) is a weather tracking organization. Founded on November 10, 2018, in response to an unprecedented California firecane season, its main aim is to track and catalogue firecanes that form across the globe. The main region tracked is California. 2019 California firecane season - Click the link for the current firecane season. Storm categories Firecanes Firecane categories are measured depending on the size of the firecane, as firecanes' effects are more severe the larger they get. The principal unit for measuring firecanes is the acre. Similarly to the JMA, firecanes are measured in 4 categories: Fire Disturbance, Firestorm, Firecane and Major Firecane. A firestorm needs to grow to 10,000 acres to be classified as a firecane. A firecane will be upgraded to a major firecane if it grows to 40,000 acres. Storms below 10,000 acres are classified as firestorms, and storms below 1,000 acres are classified as fire disturbances. Thousands of fire disturbances are recorded each year, however on average less than 1% of them are officially classified. A fire disturbance must cause a noteworthy amount of damage, or reach 1,000 acres, to be included in the season. Firecanes can last anywhere from a few days, to several months. Firecanes require human intervention most of the time to dissipate, as they can linger for weeks and spread further if they have enough energy. A firecane is declared to have dissipated when it is 100% contained and begins to retreat. The KWC can issue outlooks on fire disturbances that are likely to intensify into fire storms. Advisories are issued on any firestorms exceeding 1,000 acres. (Note that the colours are not official.) Storm naming Firecanes The KOAM Weather Center uses its own naming systems to name firecanes that either form in one of their areas of responsibility (e.g. California), or move into that area of responsibility (similar to PAGASA). KOAM names any storms that strengthen to 1,000 acres or more (firestorms). All fire disturbances are issued a number and a letter at the end corresponding to the area of responsibility (In California, 01C, etc.). Similarly to the NHC, the KWC has separate naming lists for different regions in which firecanes form. For the California region, each naming list is rotated every four years, with two auxiliary lists rotated each year should the original list in a season be exhausted. If the auxiliary list for one year is exhausted, the other auxiliary list will be used as well. Should all the auxiliary lists be exhausted, the Greek alphabet will be used. In 2008, the Hebrew alphabet had to be used after a record-breaking 95 firestorms formed, causing all other lists to be used up. Any firecane name that causes a significant amount of damage or deaths will be retired after the end of each firecane season. The firecane season The KWC has no defined bounds for the firecane season, but most firecanes form between late spring and early winter, similar to the Pacific typhoon season. In winter conditions are much less conducive for firecanes to form due to much colder temperatures. A season is more conducive for firecane formation during a period of drought, low humidity and high winds. Firecane seasons can be more active or less active depending on a variety of factors, such as cyclonic activity elsewhere, and whether a La Nina or an El Nino is active. During El Niño years, firecanes are much more common in Australia, whereas firecane formation is suppressed in California due to more moisture from the Eastern Pacific Ocean. In La Niña years, this trend is swapped, as Australia receives more moisture from cyclones in its basin, while Pacific hurricane activity declines resulting in less moisture in California. Previous firecane seasons Year: Named firestorms - Firecanes - Major firecanes 2018: 54 - 18 - 8 2017: 55 - 23 - 9 2016: 33 - 9 - 4 2015: 23 - 11 - 6 2014: 33 - 11 - 3 2013: 28 - 10 - 1 2012: 44 - 12 - 4 2011: 24 - 5 - 0 2010: 17 - 2 - 0 2009: 38 - 5 - 2 2008: 95 - 28 - 9 2007: 44 - 17 - 8 2006: 50 - 15 - 4 2005: 31 - 3 - 1 2004: 36 - 8 - 0 2003: 21 - 12 - 7 2002: 46 - 8 - 2 Category:Meteorological centers